Guilty Conscience
by Gage39
Summary: While doing a report on Fawcett City Jason Todd discovers something interesting, namely the fact that, as far as the outside world is concerned, Fawcett City hasn't existed since 1942 but it's still there. An investigation and a long talk with Billy Batson reveals a truth to horrible to be known-one that will influence Jason's actions as Red Hood.


Guilty Conscience

Jason Todd scowled at the paper in front of him. Due to a two day absence (fighting Solomon Grundy then tracking down two missing kids) for an unexpected trip to Montreal he had missed the part of an assignment where everyone chose a city with a superhero to do a project on. The only one left (besides Hoboken, New Jersey-apparently they had animal supervillains that battled with penguins from Manhattan) was Fawcett City. No one expected much from that-the teacher had looked surprised that it even pulled up in her system so Jason figured all he had to do was look up a few things on the internet, rearrange it to look pretty and turn it in, no doubt getting an A simply because no one had done anything on it in quite a long time.

He grabbed a handful of grapes (damn Alfred for throwing out all of the junk food) and munched on them while he waited for his internet search to pull something up. To his surprise only a few articles popped up despite having heard Captain Marvel mention taking down Dr. Sivana or Captain Nazi or one of his many other villains on a regular basis. In fact, nothing had been published about Fawcett city since…1942 when a headline had read SIVANA HOLDS CITY HOSTAGE WITH NUKES. There was nothing after that, aside from a few mentions of Captain Marvel helping out in other cities.

Jason frowned then turned off his computer, shoving his school things in a bag along with his Robin costume. He had a report to write and a city to visit.

* * *

Two hours later Jason found himself in Fawcett city looking at, of all things, a malt shop. An actual malt shop like they had in the '30s, complete with teenage girls wearing saddle shoes and boys slicking their hair back. Okay. This was…unexpected to say the least. He felt completely out of place in his jeans and Batman t-shirt but no one seemed to give him a second glance. In fact, he would go so far as to say that no one noticed him at all. Not even the owner of the malt shop paid him any mind when he tried to order a shake.

A violent explosion from outside rocked the building, gaining very little notice from the occupants who merely giggled that it was probably just that loser Dr. Sivana getting shown up by Captain Marvel. Jason was the only one who ran outside to see what was going on, wincing in sympathy when Captain Marvel dug himself out of a fresh hole in the wall of the local library, hollering apologies to the angry librarians behind him.

It looked as though Cap had everything under control but Jason decided to suit up anyways, it couldn't hurt anything and if he helped defeat the bad guys' maybe he could get an explanation as to why no one noticed him or why the outside world didn't notice Fawcett City anymore. A few minutes later he swung to the top of a nearby building with the help of his grappling gun, domino mask and costume firmly in place complete with sarcastic remarks.

"Looks like you could use a hand," he called.

Startled, Captain Marvel spun around to face him, shock and anger on his face. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, anger coloring his words.

Jason blinked at him in surprise. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by. Looks like I was right too."

"No," Captain Marvel said firmly. "This is my city; I'll deal with Sivana on my own."

"You sure about that?" something was definitely wrong here; Batman had mentioned on several occasions that the Captain was one of the friendliest, most open superheroes around, rivaling even Flash. He had never made any mentions of territorialism and that was something that he usually mentioned first. His villains on the other hand, never left Fawcett to do any bad guy team-ups and none ever came there looking to do any recruiting. It was like Fawcett didn't exist as far as the rest of the world was concerned.

"Positive," Captain Marvel blocked an energy beam before it could hit a young mother and her baby, directing them to a nearby hospital.

"Okay then," Jason just stood on the roof and watched in confusion as Captain Marvel and Dr. Sivana battled it out, the villain not once taking notice of Jason standing there. Once it became clear that the battle wasn't going to be wrapping up anytime soon Jason turned and left to return to Gotham.

Captain marvel watched him go, a frown on his normally cheerful face.

* * *

It was two weeks later and Jason still couldn't stop thinking about Fawcett City. He didn't know why that city called to him the way that it did but he had to listen. His report had already been written and turned in-several paragraphs describing the foundation of the town and glowing reports of Captain Marvel's heroism had gotten him an A+ but he just couldn't stop thinking about it. Bruce told him to forget the entire thing-apparently Captain Marvel had officially requested that Fawcett City be listed as off-limits to the other superheroes, confusing everyone in the Justice League.

Alfred was much more sensible about the matter. "If it's bothering you that much, Master Jason, then you should check it out. Either that or take Master Bruce's advice and forget the whole thing."

Jason loved nothing more than to defy authority (it was so easy to piss off Bruce and so much fun) so he set off for Fawcett city once more. Upon his arrival he noticed that absolutely nothing had changed since his last visit. The smiling brunette was still leaning against the counter in the malt shop, talking happily to a boy leaning on crutches about the dance coming up on Friday night and how she expected him to take her.

Loud noises could be heard from outside and when Jason went to investigate it was to find Captain Marvel, peeling himself out of a newly formed hole in the library wall. "Nothing's changed," Jason called. "Everything's the exact same way it was the last time I came."

"This is none of your business," Captain Marvel snarled.

"I'm making it mine," Jason glowered at him. "I'm not leaving until I get an explanation."

Captain Marvel sighed in exasperation. "Fine," he groaned. "I know a place where we can talk in private."

"This is your place?" Jason looked around the small apartment in surprise. He wasn't entirely sure what he had been expecting but somehow this…this wasn't it.

"Got a problem with that?"

"Nope not at all," Jason lied, taking in the faded paisley wallpaper and brown shag carpet that looked like it should have been burned decades ago.

"Good," Captain Marvel nodded. "Shazam!" lightning struck and in his place stood a scrawny little boy in a red sweater and jeans. "Name's Billy Batson by the way."

"Jason," he smiled.

"So what do you want, Jason?" Billy plopped down on the old, brown couch.

"I have a theory that I'd like you to listen to," Jason began, waiting until Billy nodded before continuing. "The last time Fawcett City was mentioned in any news article was in 1942 when Dr. Sivana threatened to detonate a nuclear bomb if he wasn't given the key to the city."

Billy didn't say anything but the way his fist clenched said it all.

"My theory? Dr. Sivana did detonate the bomb, probably by accident since I doubt he really wanted to die that way, killing everyone and everything in the city; everyone except for you that is. You're the only person that's actually left Fawcett since then so I suspect that this entire city is nothing more than just an elaborate ruse, used to fool people into thinking that the city still exists or perhaps it's just for your sake since no one comes here anymore. My teacher didn't even remember this place until I reminded her."

Billy was silent for a long moment before he slowly began to speak. "It was just another fight, you know? We fought like always, him screaming about wanting respect and how science was superior and I…lectured him on morality and all that. I suppose he was angry otherwise I don't think he would have done it. He was so sure that his suit would protect him and his kids from the radiation but it didn't. He hit the switch and…boom. Fawcett City was gone. I spent days digging through the rubble looking for survivors but I never found any. My sidekicks, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr., didn't make it either. They were in mortal form at the time-I told them I could handle Sivana on my own but I couldn't and because of my arrogance an entire city was lost."

Jason stood there awkwardly as Billy began to cry. Comforting people was not one of the things that Bruce had taught him-there had been close quarters combat and target practice, even interrogation methods that didn't count as torture but this stuff…not really his style. That was more Alfred's job than anything but Jason didn't really think that Alfred would be of much use right now.

"It's not like you meant for it to happen," Jason patted him on the shoulder clumsily.

"Do you know what the worst part of it is?" Billy managed to get out between sobs.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Knowing that if I had just killed Sivana when I had the chance that none of this would have happened. Everyone would still be alive and happy but even knowing that, I don't know if I could have lived with myself if I had killed him."

"Not everyone can," Jason gave him a brief hug then left.

Later, while he was packing for a business trip to Ethiopia, Jason began to wonder. Could he do it: could he live with himself if he killed someone? Knowing that another person's life had been extinguished by his hands so that others could live?

"I don't know either," he murmured to himself, zipping up the suitcase.

* * *

1 Year Later

Jason stood on the roof of an abandoned building in Gotham, watching the streets below. His death and resurrection had…complicated things a bit but now he was back in Gotham, ready to protect his city once again. Captain Marvel's words echoed in his head even as he considered just how he had wound up here. If Bruce…if Batman had simply had the courage to do what was right and kill the Joker long before now then Jason wouldn't be on a rooftop contemplating murdering a would-be robber. If Batman had simply been able to live with himself over killing someone then Jason wouldn't be loading two very nice guns with armor-piercing bullets as he readied himself to take down a bunch of worthless drug dealers.

"I think," he said slowly as he turned off the safeties, "I think that I can live with myself if I kill someone as long as I know that someone else will be saved because of it."

Jason swung off the building with his grappling hook, shooting before he even landed on the ground. He stopped long enough to point out a safer route to the poor lady who had almost gotten robbed before taking off at a sprint. He had work to do and a city to protect, by any means necessary.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Fawcett city, Billy Batson smiled sadly at the newspaper article he held in his hand. RED HOOD STRIKES AGAIN, DRUG CARTEL TAKEN DOWN. "I'm glad that at least one of us can protect their city while they still have a chance, even if killing is wrong." He stood up and transformed himself into Captain Marvel before leaping out the window. Captain Nazi was supposed to attack today and then Dr. Sivana that afternoon.

Life never slowed down when you had a city to protect, after all.

THE END


End file.
